Corbyn says police should use whatever force is necessary to save lives

Jeremy Corbyn, who has previously questioned the wisdom of a shoot-to-kill policy, also backed the police to use whatever force is necessary to save lives.

This was a hastily-arranged speech designed to help Corbyn run from his record on counter-terrorism policy, but it failed, Security Minister Ben Wallace saidYou cannot protect the public on the cheap. The police and security services must get the resources they need, not 20,000 police cuts.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Conservatives of trying to protect the public on the cheap in a speech focusing on the London terror attack. Mr. Corbyn, who has previously questioned the wisdom of a shoot-to-kill policy, also backed the police to use whatever force is necessary to save lives. His comments mark the end of a pause in Labor's campaigning after the attack.

The Tories accused him of desperate promises and evasive sound-bites. This was a hastily-arranged speech designed to help Jeremy Corbyn run from his record on counter-terrorism policy, but it failed, Security Minister Ben Wallace said, saying the Labour leader had opposed previous counter-terror laws.

Most parties suspended their national campaigns following the attack on Saturday night. Mr Corbyn restarted Labor's in a speech in Carlisle, in which he attacked the Conservatives' record in government and called for action to tackle extremism. He pledged whatever action is necessary and effective to protect people.

That includes full authority for the police to use whatever force is necessary to protect and save life as they did last night, as they did in Westminster in March, he said. You cannot protect the public on the cheap. The police and security services must get the resources they need, not 20,000 police cuts.

Theresa May was warned by the Police Federation but she accused them of crying wolf.

The Labour leader accused US President Donald Trump of lacking grace and sense after he criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan's response to the attack. Mr Corbyn also called for some difficult conversations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, saying they have funded and fuelled extremist ideology.

He accused the government of suppressing a report into the foreign funding of extremist groups. We have to get serious about cutting off the funding to these terror networks, including Isis here and in the Middle East, Mr. Corbyn said.

On the election, he said there was no doubt” that Thursday's vote must go ahead.

Earlier Mrs. May confirmed the general election would take place as planned on 8 June and said full campaigning would resume on Monday.

Top Comments

He is the only party leader to have tried to score political points as a result of the recent London attack. He had caveated that statement with in exceptional circumstances”. In otherwords the police will have to decide whether or not it is an exceptional circumstance or get permission from someone before opening fire.

Jun 05th, 2017 - 10:18 am +1

Islander1

Corbyn was no doubt told to say what he did. He is on public record for years voting and arguing against more antiterror controls and is on record as saying he would NOT give the authority to services to shoot to kill.
What his manifesto says - and what he and his close associates believe - is different! Don't forget his shadow No2 is on record after the IRA Brighton bombing killed several Conservative MPs for his opinion - his words were- it.s a start.
And they actually not that long ago stated they wanted to close MI5 totally.

Jun 05th, 2017 - 08:50 pm +1

DemonTree

I assume a 'no shoot to kill' policy means no shooting, at least not with real bullets. As you say, there is no other way it could work.

As far as I know the police are supposed to encourage criminals to surrender by talking to them, and use tasers or other non-lethal means rather than shooting them straight off the bat. This is one reason so few people are killed by the police in the UK compared to the US.

But that doesn't really work with these terrorists, they intend to die and they are just going to keep trying to kill people until you take them out. So I think a different policy is required.